Barrera: Nearly 2,200 inmates booked in Highland County in 2016

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Nearly 2,200 inmates were booked into the jail at the Highland County Justice Center in 2016, with an average daily population of 73 inmates, according to the county sheriff.

Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera provided a variety of statistics Wednesday, noting that the facility received a 100 percent compliance rating for the state inspection in 2016, and was “named within the top 10 cleanest jail facilities in the State of Ohio.”

The stats and information provided by Barrera noted that prior to 2001, when the new facility opened, the old jail on Governor Foraker Place housed a total of 32 inmates with six corrections officers, and stopped housing female inmates prior to 1988. Female inmates were housed outside the county.

The current facility houses 72 inmates, with 57 beds for males, 18 for females, and with 19 deputy/corrections officers, according to Barrera. Total inmates booked in 2016 numbered 2,196, including 1,535 males and 661 females.

There were 81,795 inmate meals served at a cost of $147,452.77, and 50,090 jail transport miles driven, the sheriff reported. The highest jail count last year was 94 in July.

Barrera said deputies Collins, Stewart and Trefz graduated from the Academy of Corrections in 2016, with 136 hours of state-mandated training.

Barrera said that during 2016, under the direction of Lt. Keith Brown, the Division of Corrections of the Highland County Sheriff’s Office:

• Implemented fire safety standards in the jail, with monthly fire inspections pursuant to state standards. Corporal Miller and Deputies Bushelman and Campton are Fire Safety Officers.

• Implemented a new inmate food service contract with Aramark, which lowered the inmate meal costs to save the taxpayers approximately 50-cents per inmate meal.

• Upgraded the inmate telephone system, lowering the cost.

• Upgraded the inmate visitation telephone system for recording for investigative purposes and for the safety and security of the sheriff’s office and facility.

• Upgraded the inmate commissary service with Keefe Commissary Services, accommodating release of inmate account balances at the time of their release to released inmates (or other jail facilities), saving time and expenses of mailing check balances for commissary accounts to inmates, who often move and leave no forwarding address.

• Upgraded the camera system, changing the recorded storage time from 90 days to one year.

• In process of creating a new network station in Central Control for better security of inmates and staff.

• Upgraded the Jamin booking system to Web-Jammin. Now, local courts and prosecutors can view booking records, jail time credit and jail incidents.

• Added a KIOSK money machine in the front lobby and inmate receiving area. This allows inmates’ money to be placed on the accounts of the inmates more efficiently and more quickly.

• Upgraded inmate uniforms from seat pants and tee-shirts to regular jail uniforms..

• Worked with the Highland County Probation Department, the Honorable Judge McKenna of the Hillsboro Municipal Court, the Honorable Judge Judkins of the Highland County Court for Madison Township, Greenfield, and the Honorable Judge Coss of the Highland County Court of Common Pleas to begin the Vivitrol Program through the Division of Corrections of the Highland County Sheriff’s Office.

• Worked with Turning Point Applied Learning Center on an outside work detail for inmates to work six hours per day, five days per week, with their hours counting tward inmates’ community service time, court costs and fines.

• Upgraded the printer and fax machine in Intake to better serve the courts and other agencies throughout the county.

• Currently working on upgrading the fingerprint equipment in Intake and the receiving area.

The press release added, “Lt. Keith Brown wishes to thank the jail staff for the staff’s hard work and dedication as to the jail inspections and throughout the year, while working in the jail division of the Highland County Sheriff’s Office.”

Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera is shown outside the Highland County Justice Center, where nearly 2,200 inmates were incarcerated during 2016.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2017/02/web1_donnie-barrera-justice-center-1-19-15-cmyk.jpgHighland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera is shown outside the Highland County Justice Center, where nearly 2,200 inmates were incarcerated during 2016.
Stats show as many as 94 were jailed last July

The Times-Gazette

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